YOUR COUNCIL TAX EXPLAINED 2022/23 - For more information about council tax and ways to pay, visit
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YOUR COUNCIL TAX EXPLAINED 2022/23 For more information about council tax and ways to pay, visit sutton.gov.uk/counciltax
Contents
A message from the Leader of the Council............................................ 3
What your council tax does for Sutton............................................................ 5
Our 2022/23 budget................................................................................................................... 6
How we calculate your council tax....................................................................... 8
How much council tax you will pay this year........................................ 11
Discounts and reductions.................................................................................................... 12
Empty properties and exemptions......................................................................... 13
Help to pay and financial support........................................................................... 14
How to pay................................................................................................................................................... 15
Manage your council tax online with MyAccount.......................... 16
2 | London Borough of Sutton | sutton.gov.uk/counciltax
A message
from the Leader
Dear resident,
The pandemic has changed traditional patterns of work, life and
commuting. The Council is moving quickly to respond to these
changes and your council tax contribution is helping to make sure
Sutton continues to be a great place to live, work and raise a family.
At different stages of our lives, we need different services. Last year
your council tax supported over 200 children in care, ensuring they
had a safe place to live. Provided over 50,000 hours of care to
people in their homes supporting over 1,900 residents to live
independently, as well as providing support to over 325 families
and carers living alongside people with dementia.
This year your council tax will continue to support our most
vulnerable. Help maintain our award winning parks and open spaces,
as well as contribute to our work towards becoming a net zero
carbon borough. We will continue to invest in our high streets
helping Sutton’s local economy to grow, and through pioneering
projects like The London Cancer Hub in Belmont, bring more new
jobs to the local area.
While we provide over 800 services, more than half of our budget
supports older people, vulnerable children, people with learning
difficulties and those with physical disabilities. But after well over a
decade of reduced government funding and more people than ever
before needing our help, we have been forced to take the tough
decision to increase council tax by 1.99% this year.
sutton.gov.uk/budget | London Borough of Sutton | 3
We appreciate that this increase comes at a particularly challenging
time for many residents. But with demands on our services
increasing, we have no alternative except to raise funds from
our local council taxpayers in order to continue to provide these
vital services.
The government has assumed all local authorities will fund the
increased costs of social care by charging an additional adult social
care tax. It is up to each local authority whether they want to take the
option to charge this tax. But with demands on our care services at
record levels after the pandemic, we have been left with no choice
but to apply the 1% tax for adult social care this year. This can only be
used to support the most vulnerable older people in Sutton.
The Mayor of London has also decided to increase the Greater
London Authority (GLA) charge by 8.8%. This money goes towards
the Metropolitan Police, The London Fire Brigade and Transport
for London.
This means residents in band D properties will pay an extra 57p a
week in council tax, an extra 29p a week for the adult social care tax
and an extra 61p a week for the GLA.
Thank you for helping us to protect those needing our care, while
delivering ambitious projects to bring new jobs, homes and
improvements to Sutton.
Yours faithfully,
Councillor Ruth Dombey
Leader of Sutton Council
4 | London Borough of Sutton | sutton.gov.uk/budget
What your council tax does for Sutton
Here are just a few examples of how your council tax helps people
in Sutton.
“It’s nice to have a place where you can meet
other new parents and have some fun too.
It’s made me more confident as a mum.”
Georgie, Sutton resident
Our Children’s Centres offer activities for
families, babies and toddlers that help with
child development, as well as support and
advice on a wide range of issues.
“It’s a very good service that helps me a lot
because I can’t get around so easily. It’s nice to
get a friendly visitor and something hot to eat.”
June, Meals on Wheels client
Meals on Wheels is a frontline service for
residents who need some help to live
independently. The daily visits include wellbeing
checks that spot when people need extra
support and connect them with other services.
“The feeling of belonging, of feeling safe in the
environment you’re living in is so important for
young people.”
Craig, Willow Rise Children’s Home Manager
Your council tax has helped us build a local
children’s home - so our most vulnerable
children and young people can stay rooted in our
community at the most difficult time in their lives.
Find out more about the vital services your council tax makes
possible at sutton.gov.uk/my-sutton-my-story
sutton.gov.uk/budget | London Borough of Sutton | 5
Our 2022/23 budget
Where our funding comes from
Like all local authorities, Sutton Council gets its funding from a range
of sources including council tax, business rates, government grants
and fees and charges.
74% 17% 9%
Council Funding from Business
tax central government rates
How it’s spent
All our income is invested in services for Sutton, split across the
Council’s five departments.
£22.7m £0.9m
Resources Development,
Growth and
Regeneration
£6.9m
Public Health
and Wellbeing
£33.4m
Environment, Housing £112.5m
and Neighbourhoods Peoples
A more detailed breakdown of this information is available on page 8.
6 | London Borough of Sutton | sutton.gov.uk/budgetTo meet rising
demands, we’re
£2.4m £1.3m
in children’s in adult
investing an extra: and family services social care
Our budget will also create more homes, better streets and
improved open spaces. We’re investing:
£7.5m £1m £30m £75m
in roads, in our in high streets to build over
pavements parks and and The 250 council
and street open spaces London homes
lighting Cancer Hub
What does each Council department do?
Peoples includes adult social care and supporting children.
Public Health and Wellbeing includes our pandemic response,
school nurses, libraries and museums, leisure centres, Sutton
College, sexual health, substance support, transport for older people
and Meals on Wheels.
Environment, Housing and Neighbourhoods includes parks and
open spaces, waste management, sustainability, roads, transport,
housing regeneration, community safety, building planning and
control, trading standards and emergency planning.
Development, Growth and Regeneration includes economic
recovery and growth, Sutton Town Centre regeneration, creating
The London Cancer Hub, employment and skills. This department
secures significant external funding to deliver these projects, which
is not shown in this booklet.
Resources includes asset management, human resources, IT,
finance, legal, elections, communications and policy.
sutton.gov.uk/budget | London Borough of Sutton | 7How we calculate your council tax
As in all London boroughs, your total council tax is made up of
two parts:
• An amount set by the Council based on how much money we
need to deliver vital local services and meet our levying obligations
(see below).
• An amount set separately by the Greater London Authority, called
the GLA precept.
What are levies?
Your council tax includes money the Council must collect on behalf of
other organisations, known as levying bodies. These organisations
fund their services by spreading the cost across each local authority
in their area. The Council collects the money and pays it to the
levying body.
Unlike the GLA precept, levies must be included in the Council’s own
budget calculations and are therefore included in the calculation of
council tax. The amounts the Council has to pay this year are shown
in the table below.
2021/22 2022/23
Environment Agency £170,000 £173,000
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority £174,000 £174,000
London Pensions Fund Authority £247,000 £247,000
Total £591,000 £594,000
What is the GLA precept?
The GLA precept is the part of your council tax that goes towards
funding services provided by the Greater London Authority. These
include London-wide transport, policing and fire services. The GLA
precept is set each year by the Mayor of London and is automatically
added to your council tax bill. More information about the GLA precept
is available at sutton.gov.uk/counciltax
8 | London Borough of Sutton | sutton.gov.uk/budgetWe calculate the Sutton Council element of your council tax in two
stages. First, we work out how much money the Council needs to
deliver its services and meet its levying obligations (our gross
expenditure). Then, we work out how much income we will generate
and other funding we will receive (our gross income). Then, we work
out the difference (our net expenditure) and what we need to raise in
council tax. The next two tables show these calculations for 2022/23.
Figures in brackets show income, savings or a surplus.
1. This table shows how much funding is needed to deliver Council
services, by department, and the ring-fenced central government
grants we receive towards this. Ring-fenced grants are grants that
must be spent on certain services and cannot be spent elsewhere.
2021/22 2022/23 2022/23 2022/23
Net Gross Gross Net
expenditure expenditure income expenditure
Department services, other £m £m £m £m
costs and ring-fenced grants
Peoples 94.3 109.0 (10.2) 98.8
Public Health and Wellbeing 6.8 13.5 (6.6) 6.9
Environment, Housing and 33.4 51.4 (18.0) 33.4
Neighbourhoods
Development, Growth and 0.0 1.0 (0.0) 0.9
Regeneration
Resources 22.0 102.9 (80.1) 22.7
Ring-fenced Better Care 0.0 13.7 (13.7) 0.0
Funding Joint NHS/LA Grant
Ring-fenced Public Health 0.0 10.5 (10.5) 0.0
Funding Grant
Interest, levies, reserves and 9.5 10.5 1.9 12.4
other centrally held budgets
Total 166.0 312.4 (137.3) 175.1
Non-ring-fenced core grants (15.8) (20.1)
Total Council budget 150.3 155
sutton.gov.uk/budget | London Borough of Sutton | 92. This table shows where the remaining funding needed to deliver
Council services comes from, including how much council tax
we need to raise after other sources of funding have been
accounted for.
2021/22 2022/23
Net expenditure Net expenditure
£m £m
Total Council budget 150.3 155.0
Top Up Grant (from government) (19.5) (19.5)
Revenue Support Grant (from government) (6.8) (7.0)
Business rates (17.5) (15.2)
Collection Fund surplus or deficit - council tax 0.8 (1.4)
Collection Fund surplus or deficit - NNDR 0.7 1.1
Council tax needed 108.1 113.0
How our budget has changed from last year
The table below shows how pressures like inflation and increased
demand have affected our budget this year, and where we have saved
money or received more income. These changes have led to an
overall increase in the amount we need to raise through council tax.
£m
Council tax needed 2021/22 108.1
Inflation 6.1
Additional costs from increased demand, continuing budget pressures 6.9
and income shortfalls
Transfer to capital, provisions and reserves 1.1
Savings, efficiencies and cost reduction measures (5.5)
Collection Fund surplus increase (1.9)
Decrease in business rates income 2.2
Changes in grant income funding, business rates retention and (4.1)
Revenue Support Grant
Council tax needed 2022/23 113.0
10 | London Borough of Sutton | sutton.gov.uk/budgetHow much council tax you will pay
this year
How much council tax you pay depends on how much your home
was worth in April 1991, when it was valued and put into one of eight
bands by the Valuation Office Agency. Your council tax bill tells you
which band your home is in. The table below shows how much
council tax each band will pay in 2022/23.
Valuation Range of Sutton Sutton Greater Total
band values Council Council ASC* London council
general precept Authority tax
A up to £40,000 £902.32 £122.70 £263.73 £1,288.75
B £40,001-£52,000 £1,052.71 £143.15 £307.68 £1,503.54
C £52,001-£68,000 £1,203.09 £163.60 £351.64 £1,718.33
D £68,001-£88,000 £1,353.48 £184.05 £395.59 £1,933.12
E £88,001-£120,000 £1,654.25 £224.95 £483.50 £2,362.70
F £120,001-£160,000 £1,955.03 £265.85 £571.41 £2,792.29
G £160,001-£320,000 £2,255.80 £306.75 £659.32 £3,221.87
H more than £320,000 £2,706.96 £368.10 £791.18 £3,866.24
*Adult social care precept
If you think your property is in the wrong band, visit voa.gov.uk or
call 03000 501 501. If you make an appeal, you will still need to pay
your council tax while it is considered.
Energy costs council tax rebate
If you live in a property in bands A to D, you are likely to receive a
£150 council tax rebate from the government to help with the cost
of living. A limited amount of funding is also available to support
people on low incomes in bands E-H. Go to sutton.gov.uk/
counciltax for more information.
sutton.gov.uk/budget | London Borough of Sutton | 11Discounts and reductions
Depending on your income and who is living in your home,
you may be able to apply for a discount on your council tax bill.
Council tax discounts
You may be eligible for a discount if you live alone (excluding any
children under 18) or if you or someone you live with:
• Has a disability and your home has been adapted to meet their needs.
• Is a full-time student, student nurse, apprentice or Youth
Training trainee.
• Is severely mentally impaired.
• Is a person caring for someone who is not their spouse, partner or
child under 18.
For further details on all discounts, including how to make an
application, visit sutton.gov.uk/counciltax
Council Tax Reduction scheme
If you are on a low income or receive benefits, you may be
eligible for a reduction on your council tax bill. Find out more at
sutton.gov.uk/counciltaxreduction
Important information
Some discounts and exemptions are time-limited and will expire
during the financial year. If your discount or exemption expires,
we will send you a revised bill for the rest of the year. If your bill
shows a discount or exemption that you are no longer entitled to,
or your circumstances change so you are no longer entitled to a
discount or exemption, you must tell us within 21 days. If you
don’t, you may have to pay a penalty.
Grounds for appeal against a decision regarding your council
tax can be found on our website at sutton.gov.uk/counciltax
12 | London Borough of Sutton | sutton.gov.uk/budgetEmpty properties and exemptions
Empty and unfurnished properties, including those needing or
undergoing major repairs or structural alterations, are not exempt
from council tax. This follows a change in the law on 1 April 2013.
Properties that are empty (vacant and substantially unfurnished) for
more than two years are subject to a premium. From 1 April 2021, the
following premiums apply:
• For properties that have been empty for two or more years, but
less than five years, the premium is 100%. This means you will be
asked to pay 200% of the full council tax bill.
• For properties that have been empty for five or more years, but
less than 10 years, the premium is 200%. This means you will be
asked to pay 300% of the full council tax bill.
• For properties that have been empty for 10 years or more, the
premium is 300%. This means you will be asked to pay 400%
of the full council tax bill.
If a premium becomes payable during the financial year, you will
be sent a revised bill.
As this premium applies to the property, a change of ownership
or tenancy will not affect the premium. If the property had already
been empty or substantially unfurnished for two or more years when
you bought or leased it, you will have to pay the extra council tax.
Some properties are still eligible for an exemption. For more
information or to make an online application visit sutton.gov.uk/
counciltax
sutton.gov.uk/budget | London Borough of Sutton | 13Help to pay and financial support
The cost of living crisis is affecting many people in Sutton.
If you are worried about paying your council tax or other bills,
help is available.
Hardship Fund and Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP)
If you are entitled to a Council Tax Reduction, Universal Credit or
Housing Benefit and are struggling with council tax or rent, you can
apply for a Hardship Fund payment for council tax or a Discretionary
Housing Payment (DHP) for rent.
These payments are designed for those who most need some extra
help. Our budget is limited and we will prioritise helping to keep
people in work and helping disabled and vulnerable people. We will
also take levels of income and expenditure into account. Find out
more at sutton.gov.uk/DHP
Crisis loans and grants scheme
The Council’s crisis loans and grants scheme can help to cover
unexpected expenses in a crisis or emergency. Support that can be
offered includes food vouchers, top-ups for pay-as-you-go gas and
electric meters and furniture (beds, cookers, fridges and freezers).
Find out more at sutton.gov.uk/crisisloansandgrants
Citizens Advice Sutton
Citizens Advice Sutton provides free, confidential, impartial
information and advice on issues such as benefits, debt, housing
and employment. Visit citizensadvicesutton.org.uk or call
020 8405 3552.
Go to sutton.gov.uk/budget and click on “Get the support you
need” for more information about the wide range of support
available in Sutton.
14 | London Borough of Sutton | sutton.gov.uk/budgetHow to pay
Direct Debit
You can help us save money, protect the environment
and make your life easier by paying by Direct Debit and
receiving your bill electronically. Set up your Direct Debit
at sutton.gov.uk/directdebit
Win £100 cash
By paying by Direct Debit, you’ll also
be in with a chance of winning our
£100 prize draw every three months.
Other ways to pay
Go online: sutton.gov.uk/payforit
Call the 24 hour automated payment line: 020 8770 7887
Pay with your Payzone card at Post Offices and
newsagents that display the Payzone sign
Online banking, standing order, BACS and CHAPS
Payments. Please make payments to:
Bank Sort Code: 30-80-12
Bank Account Number: 13740960
Want to pay your annual bill over 12 monthly instalments
rather than 10? Email us at counciltax@sutton.gov.uk
sutton.gov.uk/budget | London Borough of Sutton | 15Manage your council tax
online with MyAccount
You can manage your council tax online using MyAccount,
the Council’s online portal for council tax, business rates
and Housing Benefit. With MyAccount you can:
Set up a Sign up See past and
Direct Debit for e-billing future payments
Claim discounts Change your Get a PDF version
and exemptions name or address of your bill
Save yourself time by going online today.
Sign up at sutton.gov.uk/myaccount
For more information
about council tax, visit
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